Of shadow round her mouth; and she
—I'll tell you—calmly would decree
That I should roast at a slow fire,
If that would compass her desire
And make her one whom they invite
To the famous ball to-morrow night.
There may be heaven; there must be hell;
Meantime, there is our earth here—well!
THE ITALIAN IN ENGLAND
Both this poem and the following were written after Browning's visit to Italy in 1844. As originally published they were entitled Italy in England and England in Italy. The dramatic incident in the former poem was not a rescript of a particular historic incident.